Display dispensing device



April 23, 1935. H. v. MARSH DISPLAY DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Dec. 23, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet April 23, 1935. H. v; MARSH 1,999,021

DISPLAY DISPENSING DEV'ICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 23', 1932 Patented Apr. 23, 1 935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,999,021

DISPLAY DISPENSING DEVICE Harry V. Marsh, Chicago, 111.

Application December 23, 1932, Serial No. 648,525

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to dispensing devices particularly suited for the display and sale of canned goods. The utilities of the invention are in no way limited to any specific type of merchandise.

With the development of self-service in retail stores, a type of merchandising which is largely used in the grocery field, a necessity for distinguishing the goods of one manufacturer over the goods made by others has developed. Individual manufacturers, and particularly the larger national advertisers, have found it expedient to emphasizethe presence of their merchandise in such stores as well as in other stores in which self-service methods are not followed. To do this, they have proposed various dispensing devices as a sales help.

Many of such manufacturers produce more than a single product. Generally, they have at any given time a plurality of specialties which they are presenting to the particular attention of the public. The need for an inexpensive dis pensing device which will hold a plurality of items of merchandise has become manifest.

Such a device necessarily is ephemeral. It, therefore, is desirable to develop it from inexpensive materials, the life of which, however, is certain for a period of six months to a year. Devices of this sort should be of inexpensive manufacture so that they may be replaced one or more times during the course of a year or two with new devices which emphasize certain merchandise which is to be particularly pressed during a season or which has become the subject matter of a new national advertising campaign.

It is highly desirable that such devices be of a collapsible form and that they have few parts which lend themselves to ready assembly. One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a display device which will maintain a single item in a seat or pocket therefor where such item will be in plain view and from such position it may be readily removed byeither customer or clerk, the space vacated being automatically filled by another similar item until a specifled stock is exhausted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unique support for cans or other items of merchandise to be held in a sheet material container and wherein the material for such support is placed in a manner which will give long life to the device. Another object of the invention is the provision .of an unique storage chamber and discharge pocket.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an unique cartridge for articles of merchandise to be dispensed from display devices. Y

These objects, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, are obtained by the novel construction, unique combination, and improved arrangement of the dispensing device illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings embodying two forms of the invention, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a deviceembodying one form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section from the front to the back of the device;

Figure, 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking downwardly;

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the blank for forming the main front member of in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the blank for forming the main back member of the device shown in Figure 1;

' Figure '7 is a plan view of the blank for forming the upper front section of the device illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the blank used for forming the platform and pockets shown most plainly in Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a plan view of a form of partition used in the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 10 is a plan view of a reinforcing memthe device shown 20 her employed in the form of device shown in the preceding figures;

forming a cartridge such as is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3;

Figure 12 is a plan view of a blank for forming a modified form of platform, such platform being substituted forthat illustrated in Figure 8;

Figure 13 is a plan view of a blank used as a partition in conjunction with the platform shown in Figure 12 and serving in lieu of the partition shown in Figure 9; and

Figure 14 is a fragmentary plan view of a blank for a modified form of back for the device and intended for use in com'unction with the platform illustrated in Figure 12 and. the partition illustrated in Figure 13.

Like reference characters are used to designate similar parts in the drawings and in the description of the invention which follows.

For forming a device like that illustrated in perspective'in Figure 1 and in horhontal and vertical sections in Figures 2, 3 and 4, a blank of the form illustrated in Figure 5 may be employed. This part may be of any suitable sheet material having a depressed front 20 with notches 2| formed at the top central edge of said front, the notches being of a width for forming finger entries to'facilitate removal of merchandise'from the display platform of the device.

The front 20 is separated from'the right hand sideof the blank by a score or fold line 22 and from the left handside by the score or fold line 23. The sides of the device 24 and 25 are identical but reversed. Each comprises a curved shoulder, 26 and 21, and flaps or flanges, 28 and 29, respectively.

The back of one form of the invention com prises a blank 30 having scores or fold lines 3| and32 running parallel to the long edges of the blank 30. At the. top of the blank 30 is a score or fold line 33 above whichis a top member 34 having a finger hole 35 therein. The top 34 possesses a flap or lip 36 separated therefrom by the score lines 31.

The flanges 38 and 39 respectively to the right and to the left of the score lines 3| and 32' are adapted to engage andto be secured to the back interior faces of the wings 24 and 25 of the blank shown in Figure 5. When the material employed is sheet cardboard, any suitable adhesive may be employedto secure the parts together and when the device is formed from sheet metal, spot welding, soldering or rivets may be employed.

In the blank 30 is a U-shaped cut 39 which provides a tongue 40 and leaves open a slot 4|, the

purpose of which parts will later become apparent.

When the wings 24 and 25 are folded to aninety degree angle tothe front 20, there is a space intermediate the flaps or flanges 28 and 29. For bridging this space, a blank 4|a shown in Figure 7 is employed. The side edges of such blank are generally parallel and the top edge may be of any suitable symmetrical configuration. Fingers or projections are provided in the lower edge of the blank shown in Figure 7, providing indentations 43 which leave exposed to view a, goodly portion of a second can disposed in the device as is made apparent in Figure 2.

Figure 8 discloses a blank 44 which has a rearwardly extending tongue 45, a score or fold line 45, a second score or fold line 41, and identations 48, the latter producing projections 49 and 50 which are separated from the main body of blank 44 by scores or folds 5|. As is shown in Figures 2 and 4, the projections 49 and 50 are made to register with the material intermediate the finger openings 2| of the front 20, thereby giving to the front of the device a vertical lip of double thickness to stop the roll of cans thereagainst. Suitable means are used to secure the fingers 49 and 50 in contact and in reinforcing registry with the material of the front between the finger openings 2|. V

The score or fold line 41 provides for an angular disposition of the sections of member 44 as is shown in Figure 2 thus to provide a seat in which cans discharged from the upper part of the assembled device may roll and be seated. Score or fold line 46 is to facilitate the introduction of the member 44, into assembly with the other members. Without such score line and the fold it provides it would be difiicult to place the member 44 in position during the assembly of the parts. The tongue 45 of the member shown in Figure 8 projects rearwardly into the slot 4| beposed. The position of members 52 is well illus-" trated in Figure 4. The top edge position of the members 52 does not register transversely of the device with the ends of the cans in the magazines thereof but each partition falls at a line traversing the longitudinal wall of the can so that the support provided by the members 52 will be at the points of greatest strain upon the platform 44.

Score lines 53 and 54 upon the member 52 provide flaps or flanges 55 and 56 which are adhesively or otherwise secured to the front 20 and the back 30 of the device. Each member 52 has an indented top edge providing a forwardly extending sloping section 51 and an upwardly extending rear edge 58, the edges 51 and 58 corresponding with the periphery of the under surface of the member 44 when disposed in the device.

Any suitable procedure may be followed for assembling the device. Generally the front and back are assembled, one with another, the member 4la placed in position, the partitions 59 inserted and thereafter the reinforcing members '52 are attached. Subsequently the part 44 is attached and it is in this course of assembly and particularly when the material is sheet cardboard or the like that the score 46 becomes highly desirable and necessary.

The form of device which has been described is specially designed for use with what may be calledcartridges. A- blank for forming acartridge suitable for -use in the present device is shown in Figure 11. prises a front 64, sides and 66, and a back 61, these members being separated one from another by parallel score lines. The part 65 has a flap or extension 68 which is adapted to engage the part 61 in the assembly of the cartridge, the ends of the members 65 and 66 terminating in obliquely disposed sections 69 and 10 while the part 64 is of reduced length terminating at the line marked H. Upon one end of the section 61 is a short flap 12 while at its other end are three flap sections, one extending beyond the other and indicated 13,

I4 and 15. It will be noted that in order to form, the obliquely disposed flap 10 a part of the material of the section 13 is employed.

The blank shown in Figure 11 is assembled much in the fashion of the blank for ordinary cartons but the end forming the parts 69, 10, 13, I4 and I5 is of greatly increased strength, comprising a number of additional thicknesses of material. Additionally, the assembled blank provides a sloping end for the carton as is shown in Figure 2, there being an opening to discharge cans comprising the contents of the cartridge in the aperture at the end of the member 54 between the line H and the reinforced end, comprising the sections 10, I3, 14 and 15. t

The top of the blank upon which flap I2 is disposed may have such additional extensions as are necessary to provide a closed end for the box formed of"the blank illustrated.

Merchandise to be dispensed from the appara- The blank illustrated comtus heretofore described may be packed in cartons or cartridges of the type formed from the blank shown in Figure 11. When the apparatus is so assembled, a cartridge containing the proper merchandise is inserted in each of the upper sections of the device shown in Figure 1 intermediate the member 30 and the member 41a, the sloping or oblique end of the cartridge being dowmnost and in parallelism with the downwardly and forwardly sloping section of the blank 44. The aperture in the cartridge registers with the opening beneath the lower edge of the member Ma. One can of the merchandise contained in each cartridge will be discharged from the cartridge rolling downwardly and engaging the front of the device to finally become seated as the lowermost can is illustrated in Figure 2. A second can from each carton will roll from the cartridge to be partially exposed in the same manner as the next to the lowermost can in Figure 2.

If the-device is to be used without cartridges and loaded with individual cans from time to time, certain slight modifications may be made in the device as described. The first of these modifications is in respect to the blank which forms the platform or base. Instead of employing the form of blank shown in Figure 8, a platform like that shown in Figure 12 is substituted. Said latter form of device is like that shown in Figure 8 except that it has in addition to the scores and fold lines illustrated in Figure 8 a plurality of slits which are arranged in parallelism. Slits 80 are adapted to receive the extensions 8| which are shown in the blank illustrated in Figure 13. The blank in Figure 13 corresponds to the blank shown in Figure 9 save that each blank has an extension 8| thereon, the front edge of which is curved as is shown at 82 to extend downwardly the full length of the storage space for the ends to project through the slits 80 to insure a guiding action for the cans during the course of their entire downward movement through the device.

In the form of the device like that last described, facility for loading the apparatus with single cans is provided by the slotted back shown in Figure 14. In place of the type of back shown in Figure 6, the back takes the form shown in said Figure 14, there being slots 83 extending from adjacent the top edge to a line transversely adjacent to the tongue 40. Said slots 83 are parallel and are of a width permitting of the free admission of the finger or thumb to act as a can support employed during the loading process to thus avoid the necessity for dropping the cans from the top of the device downwardly through each compartment therein to the shelf or platform formed by the member 44 shown in Figure 8 or the substitute therefor shown in Figure 12.

In loading the second form of the device described, an attendant ordinarily drops a can into the top of the device with one hand and with a finger or thumb of his other hand engages the can in its downward movement through the apparatus so that it does not strike violently against the platform 44 if the device is free from a load or against the top can in the magazine if the device is partially loaded.

Top 34 which is opened to load the device is held in closed position by lip 36 which abuts the interior wall of the front 4 la.

What is claimed as new and is, desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States l. A dispensing and display device having a base, a magazine above and oifset from the front wall of said base, and a shelf between the fronts of said base and of said magazine, the front of the base and sides of the base and the magazine comprising a single sheet of material having three sections, the center section forming the front of said base, and the side sections being L-shaped and forming the sides of said base and of said magazine.

2. A dispensing and display device comprising a base, a magazine above and offset from the front wall of said base, a shelf between said base and magazine, and a barrier about the edge of said shelf, a sheet of material forming said shelf, and a second sheet of material having three sections, the central section thereof forming the front of said base and a portion of said barrier, the side sections thereof being L-shaped and of greater height than said central section and forming the sides of said base and of said magazine, and the base of said L-shaped sections form-- ing a portion of said barrier at the sides of said shelf.

3. The device described in claim 2, and in which the upper edge of the central section of said second sheet has a plurality of notches therein for facilitating delivery of merchandise.

4-. A display and dispensing device having a base, a magazine above and offset from the front of said base and having an inclined bottom, a shelf between the fronts of said base and of said magazine, and a barrier about said shelf, said device comprising a sheet of material having a central section and L-shaped side sections, said central section forming the front of said base and said L-shaped side sections forming the sides I of said base and of said magazine, said central section projecting above said shelf to form a portion of said barrier, a sheet of material forming the bottom of said magazine and said shelf and having spaced-apart slits therein, and a series of sheets of material dividing said magazine into compartments and having lower sections for projection into the slits in said second sheet.

HARRY V. MARSH. 

